Opposite cape Skýllaio (see photo), the easternmost point of Peloponnese, and very close to it lie two small islets, Nsis Spathí and Nsis Skylí. These two islets are known, since the 16th century, by the name Tselevínia, which probably derives from the Albanian words “tsélie” (=beware) and “vénie” (=they are coming). Apparently the Albanians of the area kept a watch on the cape and when the Turkish or other pirate ships sailed in, they shouted “tsélie-vénie”.
There is a byzantine chapel of Virgin Mary (can be seen in the photo), immediately south of cape Skýllaio, within the ruins of a Venetian castle. The castle is properly destroyed and few remains exist today, mainly from its outer wall, the yard inside and its life (ceramics dating 13 – 14th century AD were found). Because this castle does not exist in the nautical charts of the 17th – 18th century, we deduce that its life was short and the castle was destroyed and abandoned probably before the end of the 15th century.
The area is inhabited since the prehistoric years, was named Skýllaion and its inhabitants Skyllaieís. According to mythology, its name came from Skýlli, daughter of king Nísos of Mégara, the dead body of which was washed up in the area under unknown circumstances. Unfortunately, the excavations in the area have come to a halt, probably due to financial rstrictions, and a lot is yet to be discovered about the life in ancient Skýllaion.
